Varney the Vampire eBook

CHAPTER XCIV.

THE VISITOR, AND THE DEATH IN THE SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGE.

[Illustration]

About an hour and a half after the baron had retired
to rest, and while the landlord was still creeping
about enjoining silence on the part of the establishment,
so that the slumbers of a wealthy and, no doubt, illustrious
personage should not be disturbed, there arrived a
horseman at the Anderbury Arms.

He was rather a singular-looking man, with a shifting,
uneasy-looking glance, as if he were afraid of being
suddenly pounced upon and surprised by some one; and
although his apparel was plain, yet it was good in
quality, and his whole appearance was such as to induce
respectful attention.

The only singular circumstance was, that such a traveller,
so well mounted, should be alone; but that might have
been his own fancy, so that the absence of an attendant
went for nothing. Doubtless, if the whole inn
had not been in such a commotion about the illustrious
and wealthy baron, this stranger would have received
more consideration and attention than he did.

Upon alighting, he walked at once into what is called
the coffee-room of the hotel, and after ordering some
refreshments, of which he partook but sparingly, he
said, in a mild but solemn sort of tone, to the waiter
who attended upon him,—­

“Tell the Baron Stolmuyer, of Saltzburgh, that
there is one here who wants to see him.”

“I beg your pardon, sir,” said the waiter,
“but the baron is gone to bed.”

“It matters not to me. If you nor no one
else in this establishment will deliver the message
I charge you with, I must do so myself.”

“I’ll speak to my master, sir; but the
baron is a very great gentleman indeed, and I don’t
think my master would like to have him disturbed.”

The stranger hesitated for a time, and then he said,—­

“Show me the baron’s apartment. Perhaps
I ought not to ask any one person connected with this
establishment to disturb him, when I am quite willing
to do so myself. Show me the way.”

“Well, but, sir, the baron may get in a rage,
and say, very naturally, that we had no business to
let anybody walk up to his room and disturb him, because
we wouldn’t do so ourselves. So that you
see, sir, when you come to consider, it hardly seems
the right sort of thing.”

“Since,” said the stranger, rising, “I
cannot procure even the common courtesy of being shown
to the apartment of the person whom I seek, I must
find him myself.”

As he spoke he walked out of the room, and began ascending
the staircase, despite the remonstrances of the waiter,
who called after him repeatedly, but could not induce
him to stop; and when he found that such was the case,
he made his way to the landlord, to give the alarm
that, for all he knew to the contrary, some one had
gone up stairs to murder the baron.